The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-06-18


duties keep them about a court
where panels are filled, whore judge
suit, and where criminal and civil az your !
tratlon has its seat. They giYys,I in re-
'e-qnty Auditors, who are '''"i !" IT,
ply frs of assessment; to subject of the |
18th sectiSai1n s1 remit pepd and .sRut,and
grab" l heartily endorse all that has
been said by the Telegraph on this
subject, and think that great credit is
due the Telegraph for its zeal in de-
Tending the interests OF the public
schools. If Mr.. Rutland had, as the
States asserts, "through his own re-
searches and expert knowledge" dis
covered the Indebtedness of the State
to the public school fund and secured
the payment Of same to the different
townships entitled to it, there might
be some shadow Of reason or justice in
the payment of the exorbitaut fee
charged by him, but this is not true, rs
will be seen by reference to the state
ment published by Auditor Steel,
which shows that this question vast
first agitated by Col. II. n. Lott, to
whom is due the honor and credit of
having resurrcctad this fund for the
public schools and having called the
attention Of the State officials to their
duty in placing the proper amounts to
the credit Of the different townships.
Col. Lott begun correspondence with
Auditor Jumei with reference to this
school fund in 1883, and was un,irins
in his effolts until he succeeded in OK.
planning the subject thoroughly to our
present Auditor, and making plain to
him, his duty. Soon after Col. Lott
had called the attention of the officials
to the existence of this school fund and
had prepared the necessary papers to
secure to West Carroll, the proper
credits due her, Mr.. w. r. Rutland,
"a lawyer from Auditor Steers own
parish,) advertised that he was prepar-
ed to make contracts with the school
boards throughout the State for the
collection OF this fund, and was en-
dorsed by the Superintendent of Pub
lie Education.
Now, l haven't the most remote idea
that Mr.. Rutland with all of "his OK
pert knowledge anu exhaustive re-
Searches" ever dreamed of the exist.
ence Of this Indebtedness of the State
to the public schools until Col. Lott,
with his zeal aud ability had unear TIL
ed it from amid the musty records of
the Auditors Office where it seem ed to
have been lost sight of for number of
years, and had pointed out the proper
course to pursue in order to secure the
payment to the townships to which it
was due. / think the spoils alone sut-
ticient to remunerate Mr.. Rutland for
the time and trouble expended by him
in his researches, but the States seems
to think differently, and attempts to
accord to him the honor of having
through "his expert Knowledge and
transceadent ability, resurrected this
buried fund aud restored it to the free
schools Now ii is this idea. in the
article in the States referred to, which
l seriously object to, and L think Mr..
Ru,land's friends should be satisfied
with his having made use of the consti-
tutional knowledge and researches of
another party, in order to amass a
handsome fortune without wishing to
rob that other party of what honor and
credit he might have earned by his
efforts in hehalf of our public schools.
l will say further, that Col. Lott
never advised the school board OF
West Carroll TO employ Mr.. Rutland
nor was he over employed by them.
Col Lott secured the necessary data and
prepared all the necessary papers to
have the credits made for West Carroll.
ali that Mr.. Rutland did, was TO hand
the papers TO the Auditor and retain
fifty per cent Of the~moncy for CHS ex-
pert know ledge"
In conclusion, will say, that l have
obtained from Mr.. Lott thorough
Knowledge of all of the facts connected
with this 10th section school fund long
before Mr.. Rutland ever proposed to
take contracts for its collection, and Il
a time when the officials and tha press
Of the State seemed 10 be totally igno-
rant of lis existence, aud | feel that it
is my duty rs an advocate of Justice
and fair dealing, to make this state